How to clone a bootable hard drive to a new SSD drive for Windows 11

Cloning a bootable hard drive to a new SSD for Windows 11 can be a breeze if you avoid some common pitfalls. First off, picking the right software is key. Don't just go with the first one you find. There are solid options like Macirum Reflect or EaesUS Todo Backup. They have user-friendly interfaces and guides. I had a rough time the first time I tried with some sketchy free software that just couldn't handle the job. Make sure the tool you choose specifically supports SSDs!

Seriously, backup all your important files and documents before starting. Like, you never know when things might go south. I learned this the hard way when I forgot to save some important stuff that ended up getting lost. Use OneDrive to sync your files to the cloud before cloning—just in case.

Make sure your new SSD is big enough to hold everything on the old hard drive. If your existing drive is 1TB and your SSD is 500GB, you're going to hit a wall. You can use disk management tools to figure out what's on your current drive. Open Disk Management by right-clicking the Start button and selecting it.